Threading-in on a reel



Patented Nov. 11, 1952 Ernest J. Griset, Jr., Asheville, N. 0., assignorto American Enka Corporation, Enka,-N. 0., a corporation of DelawareApplication'March 3, ssa'seriai No. 274,532

after all of the loops are in position, rotation of the-reel isinitiated to cause it to wind on itself a plurality of skeins. Solong asthe yarns or threads which are to be prepared in skein form are drawnfrom a static source such as a 'j:

package or cake, the threading-in arrangement described above is quitesatisfactory. On the other-hand, when the threads are being continuouslydelivered in runningjform as by a continuous spinning machine, thethreading-in 'of a skein winder of the type which winds a plurality ofskeins'on a single reel presents difficulties. Theproblems arise out ofthe necessity for taking care of the'thread running totheloops'already-tied-on the reel while the remainder arev being tied.

.: It is -.-thereforeian objector this invention .to

provide fortheconvenient and easy threadingein o'fa skein windingreelwith a plurality of runningi ends while minimizing waste of yarn andoperatortime:

Other objects and advantages-of this invention will be apparent uponconsideration of the fol-' lowing detailed description of .an embodimentthereof inconjunction with the .annexed draw-- ings whereim.

Figure 1 is a-view in elevation of a skein wind- -ing reel incorporatingthe improvements of. the

present. invention;

Figure 2 is a view in the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the reel in adifiicult angular position to illustrate a different stage in thethreading-in operation.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawcross section taken on stoodupon concurrent reference first to Figures ings, the numeral l0designates a skein winding f reel of the type constructed to accommodateand wind six skeins simultaneously. The reel I0 is comprised of sixspiders ll, l2, l3, l4, l5 and; I6, axially equally spaced along a shaftll. The.

shaft I1 is iournaled in bearings l8 and i9 and is connected to berotated by conventional mechanism, not shown.

Each spider is provided with six spokes radiating from a hub and, sincethe spider I3 is"'- 2 4 typical of all of them both as to configurationand angular position on the shaft Il, only that spider is shown in endview.

The outer ends of the spokes of the spiders I l to l6, inclusive, areconnected to rods 20, 2|, 22, 23, 24 and 25, which define with thespiders a cage-like structure. Each spider has associated with it athread guide to lead the thread from a source, not shown, to theapproximate plane of the approximate spiden, These thread guides areidentified in Figure 1 by numerals Ilatolfia, inclusive.

It will be understood that the skein winder thus far describedisentirely conventional. As a part of the present invention each spider.is

providedwith a stud l l b to 5b, inclusive, projecting from its sideparallel to the shaft H, and m a line between the tip of a spoke and thecenter line of the reel. V

Associated with two of the spokes and the appropriate guide for eachspider, there is a suction device which is capable of taking up arunning yarn by exerting a pull thereon of constant.

magnitude sufficient to prevent slack but not enough to cause threadbreakage. These devices. which are indicated by reference numerals 26 to3|, inclusive, themselves form no, part of the; present invention beingdisclosed and described- 1 and 2 and then to Figures 1 and 3. The running yarns or threads issuing from sources not shown are led immediatelyto the appropriate suction device and are then dropped in theappropriate guide. Thus an initialthread path is established between thethread guide and each spider and the suction device for that spider.When all of the threads are running to the appropriate suction device,the operator draws a loop between the thread guide and the suctiondevice and drops the running thread behind the projecting stud. See thebroken line path of the thread in Figure 2. When all of the threads arerunning in accordance with the pattern de picted in broken lines inFigure l, the reel is caused to rotate in a counter-clockwise directionas it is viewed in Figures 2 and 3. The effect of this rotation isapparent in Figure 3 and as soon as suflicient overlapping has occurredto insure anchorage of one end of the thread on the reel, the thread oryarn is cut immediately adjacent the appropriate suction device asindicated at in Figure 3.

From the above description it will be noted that an advantage of thisinvention resides in the fact that it is entirely unnecessary to windany sort of loop about the skein-winding reel before the rotation ofthat reel is initiated. In other words, in threading-in, a condition isestablished which may be described as a condition precedent to :theautomatic formation of a loop, that condition precedent being depletedin broken lines in Figure 2. The condition is a stable one and affordsample time for the operator to get all of the threads so running beforeinitiating rotation of the reel, and once rotation of 'the reel iscommenced, all of the loops are wound at once and cutting of thethreads-running'to thmsuetion device can be quickly and easily accom-.plish'ed.

What isclaimed is:

Apparatus 'for threading-in a skein winder comprising a rotatablegenerally cylindrical reel defined by circumferentially spaced bars, :aplurality of temporary collecting devices spaced apart in a lineparallel to the reel axis, a.?p'lurality of thread guides also spacedapart in a line parallel to the-reel axis, said guides and devices beingdisposed .in pairs so that a straight 'line between them passes:chordwise throughthe the reel and :so that :thread running from theguide to thedevic'e contacts'two bars of the reel, and a plurality ofstuds'one of said studs being disposed parallel to but radially inwardlyof said bars adjacent theith-read path between 'ea'ch guide *and itsrespective temporary collectin'g device whereby in threading-in arunning endis ledto each guide and the --temporarycollecting deviceassociated therewith, a loop is drawn between said two bars and passedaround-the respective stud and the reelis rotated to commence theWindingof the skeins. v

2. Apparatus for threading-in a skein winder "comprising a rotatablegenerally cylindrical reel and the respective device passes chordwisearound the respective stud and the reel is rotated to commence thewinding of the skeins.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which the temporary collectingdevices are of the suction device type imposing suflicient tension toaprevent Tthreald :slack but not enough to cause breakage.

*4. A method of threading-in a reel including circumferentially Ispacedbars around which a coil of thread is wound to form a skein thatcomprises initially establishing a running thread between a guide and apoint of temporary collection around at least two bars: of thereelpdrawing the thread inwardly between the two :bars and increasingthe length of its path between said bars =by:g'uiding-itfat a:pointi-ntermediate but inwardly of :the bars;' causing the reel :tomot-ate and thereafter cutting the thread between the :reel and thepoint. of temporary collection.

'5. A method fofthreading-in :a reel including circumferentially spacedbars around which :a plurality of coils of threadare-Woundito formskeins that comprises initially establishing a series of axially spacedrunning threads each in contact with at :least two bars thereof. tem'-porarily collecting fea'ch -:running thr'ead 'indivi dually,drawingiaziloop between the two-contacted bars and re-estaiblishingtherunning thread to a path moving inwardlyiand-outwardly of the reelcenter in its passage zbetween 'sai'd two "bars, thereafter causing'E'the ;:reel *to :rotate about a quarter turn and cutting-therthre'ad'b'etween the reel and the points of temporary collection.

6. A methodoi @threading-in ea reelT-i'ncluding circumferentially:spaced bars :aro'und which a plurality of :coils of "threads are woundits form skeins that comprises initially establishiri'gxatseries off'axiallyfspaced running threads each in contact-with *at least eltwo*bars thereoi, tem m rarily collecting eachirunning'threadindividuallyat a point of suction sufiicient ato avoid' sla'ck but 7 cutting thethread be-tweenthe reel and the points of temporary collection.

ERNESTU. GRI'SET, JR.

No references cited.

